I can help with gardening questions.

[pandybat]

Not really an expert but I did work in a nursery for a couple years. Learned alot there and through research online. So if anyone is having trouble with a houseplant, flowerbed or garden, let me know and we'll see if we can't come up with a solution. I have limited knowledge with vegetables and insects but might be able to lead you to some sites that can help.


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[Schwisow]

I live in an apt. complex and have been working cleaning out the landscaping (it has really been neglected). Now that I have cleaned out the "old" what can I put in at this time of the year in Washington state? Would like to do something with color. Thanks for any help you can give.

[pandybat]

Well, for the utmost in color, mums and coleus are your best bet this time of year. But unfortunately, they don't look very pretty during the rest of the year. I will do some looking around and see what we can find that you could plant amongst them for year round color.

[AngelswDirtyFaces]

What are the best flowers to plant.

for Sun? ..

for Shade?..

(I'm in California,The Season-weather isn't much of a issue)

Thanks~Chelle


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[cata5]

Need help with pruning. I have some overgrown bushes on the side of my house that should be cut back...like today. I don't know how short to go so that they don't die. They need more than a trim, though. One is a wegalia (sp.?). The other is a leafy tree/bush. lol Can you chop them down to a couple of feet? Right now they are 5-6 ft tall and taking over the space.

[pandybat]

Originally posted by AngelswDirtyFaces
What are the best flowers to plant.

for Sun? ..

for Shade?..

(I'm in California,The Season-weather isn't much of a issue)

Thanks~Chelle

What can't you grow in California!!? LOL It's almost like the most perfect place to grow anything! You're so lucky.

I don't know if there are any best flowers to plant but being in CA and the weather conditions being ideal for almost any plant, you shouldn't have any trouble picking out whatever suits you. Just make sure to look at the tags and pick shade plants for the shade and full sun for the sun spots in your yard. Hostas are my favorite for shade planting because they get so big and lush. You can find many flowerbed designs online to help you decide where to plant what and what it looks best with. Wish I was there to go plant shopping with you! CA has many plants that we can't grow here. Have fun!


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[sandyl]

I have a couple of questions (your timing is perfect....)

I live near Dallas and want to plant some perennials that are REALLY REALLY low maintenance - any suggestions? It is in my front garden that gets the morning sun, I have several holly shrubs in the garden already but need something to plant in front of them.

Also, can I prune the lower brances from a tree while it is in full leaf, or do I have to wait until it goes dormant to do that?

Finally, I have grass growing in my flower beds (really annoying, and I can kill it but it always comes back) Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? (short of asphalting the entire garden....)

Thanks!!!


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[pandybat]

Originally posted by cata5
Need help with pruning. I have some overgrown bushes on the side of my house that should be cut back...like today. I don't know how short to go so that they don't die. They need more than a trim, though. One is a wegalia (sp.?). The other is a leafy tree/bush. lol Can you chop them down to a couple of feet? Right now they are 5-6 ft tall and taking over the space.

Ok...for the Weigela...I had to consult my book for this one. Most bushes can all be pruned the same way but very few cannot and I wanted to make sure this was one that would not freak out if you cut it too much.
It says: Thin out the bush by removing some of the oldest branches during the winter. Cut them as near as possible to the ground line. Annual pruning should consist of the removal of
worn-out flowering branches as soon as the blossoms have faded.

So I would suggest cutting out some of the oldest branches all the way to the ground to allow for the younger branches to branch out and flower more in the spring. Maybe clip the younger branches just a little bit as well but not too much. Do this in very late fall so that it will go dormant and not try to put on new branches and foilage that will be damaged during the winter.

For your other bush, I would do the same just to be on the safe side since we don't know for sure what it is. Maybe cut the younger branches only down to about half of what they are now.


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[pandybat]

Originally posted by sandyl
I have a couple of questions (your timing is perfect....)

I live near Dallas and want to plant some perennials that are REALLY REALLY low maintenance - any suggestions? It is in my front garden that gets the morning sun, I have several holly shrubs in the garden already but need something to plant in front of them.

Also, can I prune the lower brances from a tree while it is in full leaf, or do I have to wait until it goes dormant to do that?

Finally, I have grass growing in my flower beds (really annoying, and I can kill it but it always comes back) Any suggestions on how to get rid of it? (short of asphalting the entire garden....)

Thanks!!!

Lucky you....another one in a nice warm climate where you can grow almost anything! I am envious of you in those warmer states because I have an affinity for cacti and succulents and if I lived there, I would have a desert garden like you wouldn't believe! LOL

Dallas...zone 8 on the hardiness map. Your choices also just depend on what you would like to see. But far as maintenance goes, there really isn't anything that is completely maintenance free. Perennials aren't that hard to maintain anyway and I have a fool-proof way of maintenance at my house...hehe Most of my beds get a huge weedwhackin' about every two years by my hubby. I pull out plants that I don't want anymore or need to move and let him go over the whole bed in the fall with the weed trimmer. This process mulches, reseeds, thins out and basically makes the whole bed thicker and fuller and full of blooms the next year. To pick your plants, try this page to get some ideas. [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] You shouldn't have any trouble planting anything you like as long as you keep your holly bushes in check so that they don't take up space with your perennials and die them out.

You can prune nearly any tree in the fall and it will not have any effect on it. The worst thing you can do is do it too early allowing for new growth to start before the colder months get here which damages new growth and causes disease in parts of the tree from that new growth dying. So wait until late fall to prune and you shouldn't have any trouble.

Grass and weeds in flower beds are a flower lovers nightmare. But unfortunately for an already established flower garden, there is nothing you can do to prevent it short of bucking up, getting down on your knees and start pulling...lol I wouldn't recommend using a weed killer now since you may damage other trees/bushes/flowers that are already there. But remember for next time to put down weed barrier before you plant a new bed and it significantly cuts down on weed maintenance in the future.


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[sandyl]

Thanks pandybat for the ideas and tips!!!!

[AngelswDirtyFaces]

Originally posted by pandybat


What can't you grow in California!!? LOL It's almost like the most perfect place to grow anything! You're so lucky.

Hostas are my favorite for shade planting because they get so big and lush.

Wish I was there to go plant shopping with you! CA has many plants that we can't grow here. Have fun!

Thanks so much pandybat!!
Come on over, would love to go SHOPPING with ya!!
woohoo Shopping!!

P.S. FREE Catalogue Request for HOSTA'S
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[kualalumpar]

I was wondering if you can tell me what to do with my morning glories........I am not good at gardening at all, so I am at a loss.

I have several morning glory vines that are beginning to die, BUT I noticed these cool little seed pods...........most are green, but they are turning brown and have (when the pods turn brown) about 6 little black seeds (I have hundreds so far).

My question is:
(1) Do I rip out the vines from the ground and let them dry out that way, or let them go naturally brown...........and when all the pods are gone, then get rid of the dead vine??

(2) What do I do with the 100's of seeds? By "what to do" I know the obvious--plant them, lol, but how should they be stored, when do I plant them, and is one seed or more needed to grow a vine?

Thanks in advance for any insight you may be able to share


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[Babydebate]

I live in Texas.

For those of you who live where weeds abound, I have found that hard wood mulch does a really good job of helping to keep weeds from proliferating your beds. It also helps to keep water in the soil, from being evaporated so that it keeps your water bill down. Also, if you put this in the beds around your house, it also waters the slab of your home, which keeps the slab from cracking and protects the value of your home.

Hard wood mulch is relatively inexpensive and holds up for a good number of years. You will need to put a liner around the bed to keep the mulch in the bed, but inexpensive ones can be found at any home improvement store.

**I don't have a green thumb -- I have gotten these tips from someone else who is.

[pandybat]

Originally posted by kualalumpar
I was wondering if you can tell me what to do with my morning glories........I am not good at gardening at all, so I am at a loss.

I have several morning glory vines that are beginning to die, BUT I noticed these cool little seed pods...........most are green, but they are turning brown and have (when the pods turn brown) about 6 little black seeds (I have hundreds so far).

My question is:
(1) Do I rip out the vines from the ground and let them dry out that way, or let them go naturally brown...........and when all the pods are gone, then get rid of the dead vine??

(2) What do I do with the 100's of seeds? By "what to do" I know the obvious--plant them, lol, but how should they be stored, when do I plant them, and is one seed or more needed to grow a vine?

Thanks in advance for any insight you may be able to share

Sure, you can either let them dry out naturally or pull them out after you have gathered all the seed pods that you would like.

Take the seed pods and placed them in an envelope and store them at room temperature. Make sure you label the envelope with the name of the flower and the year you gathered them. You can usually store flower seeds for up to a year this way, sometimes two years.
Plant them in the spring of next year after frost or germinate them inside a few weeks before you plan to set them out to plant.
You would think that it would be one seed to a plant but just to be on the safe side, add two or three seeds to the hole or germinating pot just to make sure at least one germinates.

Morning glories are one of the easiest plants to get started. The seeds are big and they germinate moderately fast.

Good luck!!


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[pandybat]

Originally posted by Babydebate
I live in Texas.

For those of you who live where weeds abound, I have found that hard wood mulch does a really good job of helping to keep weeds from proliferating your beds. It also helps to keep water in the soil, from being evaporated so that it keeps your water bill down. Also, if you put this in the beds around your house, it also waters the slab of your home, which keeps the slab from cracking and protects the value of your home.

Hard wood mulch is relatively inexpensive and holds up for a good number of years. You will need to put a liner around the bed to keep the mulch in the bed, but inexpensive ones can be found at any home improvement store.

**I don't have a green thumb -- I have gotten these tips from someone else who is.

Thanks Babydebate!
Mulch is a great idea especially if you are planting a new bed. I would still recommend putting down weed barrier underneath it too.
If using mulch, you need to have at least a 2-4 inch layer of mulch to prevent weeds from coming up. On a flower bed that is already established, 2-4 inches of mulch may swallow up the bases of some of your smaller plants causing them to die out. So try to put the mulch as close to those smaller plants as possible without letting it touch them. You may still spot a weed or two trying to come up between those spaces but its better than having a whole flower bed of weeds come up.


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